Ballet
The origin of ballet dancing dates back to the late fifteenth century in Italy, when it was performed as an interpretation of fencing. They were performed in large halls as an entertainment for the courts. The dance themes were based on the social event of a particular day. This was evident from a dance in 1489; performed during the course of an banquet whereby the action of the dance revealed the menu.
The first ballet dance that narrated a full story was the Le Ballet Comique de la Rein (The Queen's Ballet Comedy), which was performed in 158, in Paris. The aristocratic amateurs, as well as the royal people participated in this dance. The dance was presented by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux, the famous violinist and dancer, and was accompanied by music, poetry and songs.
It was during the reign of Louis XIV that the court ballet became very popular. He was regarded as the Sun King, in remembrance to the role that he played in one of the ballet dances. In 1661, the first school for learning ballet dance 'Academie Royale de Danse' was opened by Louis XIV in France. In those times, the dance was performed only by the male dancers. Men dressed in women's costumes, masks and wigs used to play the role of female characters. It was in the ballet dance Le Triomphe de l'Amour (The Triumph of Love) in 1681 that women started participating in ballet. The ballet dancers wore ankle-length costumes; which were, of course, very different from today's costumes.
When ballet dance was introduced, the most significant feature was the group performance, wherein the participants not only danced, but also sang songs and recited poems. Thefive positions of ballet dance were created in the 1600s by the well-known French ballet teacher and choreographer, Pierre Beauchamp. These basic positions, though modified a little, are followed even today.
This information is coming from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-ballet-dancing.html
The first ballet dance that narrated a full story was the Le Ballet Comique de la Rein (The Queen's Ballet Comedy), which was performed in 158, in Paris. The aristocratic amateurs, as well as the royal people participated in this dance. The dance was presented by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux, the famous violinist and dancer, and was accompanied by music, poetry and songs.
It was during the reign of Louis XIV that the court ballet became very popular. He was regarded as the Sun King, in remembrance to the role that he played in one of the ballet dances. In 1661, the first school for learning ballet dance 'Academie Royale de Danse' was opened by Louis XIV in France. In those times, the dance was performed only by the male dancers. Men dressed in women's costumes, masks and wigs used to play the role of female characters. It was in the ballet dance Le Triomphe de l'Amour (The Triumph of Love) in 1681 that women started participating in ballet. The ballet dancers wore ankle-length costumes; which were, of course, very different from today's costumes.
When ballet dance was introduced, the most significant feature was the group performance, wherein the participants not only danced, but also sang songs and recited poems. Thefive positions of ballet dance were created in the 1600s by the well-known French ballet teacher and choreographer, Pierre Beauchamp. These basic positions, though modified a little, are followed even today.
This information is coming from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-ballet-dancing.html